So this is a little different than your typical "which skate" post. I am old, but not as old as F2B. I switched to speed skating about 5 years ago because when you get old things break when you fall. Turns out, you still fall while skating speed, and this summer was a total loss for me after a hard fall during training that resulted in a grade 3 separated shoulder (don't google if you have a weak stomach). Anyway, I have a kid that got a scooter for Christmas and immediately asked to go to the skate park to ride the boxes. Because I am stupid (wisdom did not come with age), I dug out my original K2 Backyard Bobs (see, ooollddd), and wheeled over to the local skate park (which, back in my day, we didn't have and had to fight to even get built... GET OFF MY LAWN!!). I laced up the skates, and, in freezing weather, latched the cuff buckles only to have the cuffs of both skates split to pieces on me. Hence the need for new boots.

Here is the question, which type of aggro boot?

If I get a new pair of street skates, I want something that I can use outside the park. I was thinking powerblading skates. Something with bigger wheels (78-80mm flat rocker) that I can slap a set of worn speed bearings into (either ILQ9 pros or Swiss of some kind) and skate while the rest of the family are on bikes (my kids are little, single digit combined age between the two of them), but also take to the skate park to jump boxes and grind a bit here and there. Is this worth while or should I stick with a more standard anti-rocker set up with 60mm wheels? Any suggestion on brand? USD looks attractive. How are the new separable frame/boot combos? (In my day) I have only ever used monopiece skates.

I don't want to put my 110mm speed skates in the park for obvious reasons, and using them with the family out relaxed outings isn't great because my average training speed is 15mph, so I am trying to find the best of both worlds. Thanks in advance.